The clarion., 1887-10-12
PISTOLS. sHoTGUNs. RIFLES.
Interesting Facts About Weapons OF Sport
and Death.

interesting tAcfs About weapons OF Sp0r4
and Death.
There have been pistols enough
sold IN the last ten wears to arm the
male population of the United States,
and II every man aud big boy in the
country has not got one it must be be-
cause the cheap pistols don't last long
enough TO be handed down as heir
looms So spoke the manager of
famous house in the firearms business
on Maiden Lane
Is the demand for pistols increas-
ing IN proportion TO the increase of
populationes'
Il am glad to say that it is not. es-
Peclaiiy IN the South. where IL has
heretofore been the rule for the male
sex 20 go armed, and where the crack
OF the revolver has too often been the
umpire in argument The authorities
IN several Southern States have an
PaFehtiS seen the necessity of placing
some restraint on the CARRYING Of
deadly weapons, and the preponder-
ance OF public sentiment is everywhere
against the indiscriminate practice
Texas has enacted law imposing six
months Imprisonment and n fine of
500 for carrying a pistol. In Ten
nessee, Georgia, Alabama and Arkan-
sas the sale of pistol cartridges is pro-
hibited. The Northwestern state ~
llhnols has a very good law, recurring
dealers IN pistols TO keep record Of
every sale, and 20 whom sold. as
apothecaries must do when selling
poisons. This law, of course, facili-
tates the procuring of evidence in
cases of murder by the use of a pistol
1ou do not approve of cheap pis-
tols?"
II do not. The purchaser of a pis-
tol, desiring a good, durable and trust
worthy weapon. should not nav less
than $40, and from that to Sl5. The
vast majority of pistols in the market
are, however, of the as cent and 81
quality. There is probably no danger
OF explosion in using such weapons.
They are not likely to burst, as the
strain Is on the shell and at the breech.
and there Is ample strength there. as
a general thing, TO prevent bursting.
But such pistols soon wear out. Like
the razors Hodge bought at a shilling
dozen, they are manufactured to
sell.
DO many women buy pistols?n
Some respectable women, living
isolated, or under circumstances which
justify the apprehension that there
may be need for a deadly weapon for
use in defending themselves or their
property, procure pistols. But in such
cases they are very apt to lock the
weapon up in drawer, and not be
able to get it when they may happen
to need it. Fast women not unfre-
quently arm themselves with pistols.
They usually buy the cheap kind. As
a rule, when woman buys pistol
she probably has some very serious
idea in her head. Under ordinary cir
cumstances the sex has no inclination
for such weapons.
The trade in sporting weapons"
added the manager, lis increasing.
A good many more shotguns are sold
than rifles, and, notwithstanding the
80 per cent. duty, English shotguns
continue in favor, because they are
made by hand and have undergone a
| thorough Government inspection,
while the American weapon is made
| by machinery and is subjected To no
Government test whatever. A good
| English shotgun can be procured at
| from S25 TO $50. first class weapon
| for from $75 TO 800, but some English
| shotguns are sold as low as SO or SIS
| Even these are safe, as far as bursting
is concerned, owing to the rigid Gov
ernment inspection. All shotguns i'm
| ported are not hand made, as there are
| two manufacturers in Belgium who
use machinery. American shotguns
retail for from $40 to S75 and 800 for
the better grades, the English hand
made goods being able to undersell
the American, the tariff to the con
trary Notwithstanding.
In rifles, however, the Americans
hold the market. Their machine man
ufactured rifles cannot be equaled by
the handiwork of Englshmen, anC
American rifles are sold al over the
world. The demand for sporting ri
fles has, however, been untavorably
affected by the indiscriminate slaugh.
ter of large game in the Far West
The class of arms sold to buffalo hunt
ers has almost gone out of the market
owing to the rapid extinction of the
buffalo"
These dealers in arms are in favor
of the protection of gameP"
"Emphatically so, and every true
sportsman is. The extinction of game
would mean the cessation of a demand
for sporting arms. ="
| lis game decreasing in the Eastern
and Middle Statespn
Il should say not, judging from tho
demand for shotguns and sporting ri
fies. The game laws are being made
more and more stringent, and public
sentiment sustains their enforcement
The small game of the Atlantic States
is rather on the increase. ."-NelO York
San.